Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason jobseeker's benefit has been reduced for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [26477/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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One of the qualifying conditions for entitlement to jobseeker's benefit is that the claimant must have sustained a substantial loss of employment and earnings. This occurs where a person has lost at least one day's work per week in comparison with their normal level of employment, together with a reduction in earnings. When making a decision as to whether a person has sustained a substantial loss of employment the Deciding Officer examines their work pattern over a representative period.

The person concerned was employed on an infrequent and irregular basis when she previously claimed jobseeker's benefit. She was awarded benefit for any day of unemployment in the course of that claim. Her entitlement to jobseeker's benefit exhausted on 18 March 2008. However, she made a further claim for the benefit on 31 March 2008 and she had sufficient contributions paid to re-qualify for jobseeker's benefit. A Deciding Officer, having examined her work pattern in the previous year, determined that her normal level of employment is 3 days per week. She is, therefore, entitled to a jobseeker's benefit payment, for days of unemployment, in weeks where she works for less than 3 days.

Under Social Welfare legislation, decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.